Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-06-11
BOARD OF TRADE.
weporss on the i"terss"tc Com-
nercc Law.

~
mercc Law.
Some weeks ago the Board OF Trade
anpoiuted a committee on the new Inter-
state Commerce law. The Following
ranorts were sent into the Board;
MAJORITY REPORT.
Your Committee on Transportation,
a. which has been referred the Inter
state Commerce law as affecting the
hus;ness of southern California, beg
leave to submit the following reports
We believe it to be in the province
and duty of all institutions, as Boards %
Trade and other similarly constituted
bodies. not only to express their views
At ali times as to existing laws IN any
wise affecting the business interests Oh
the country, but also to criueise, wheh
necessary, the spirit in which sueh laws
were created. A.
The will of the people is with us the
oo,,rt of last resort, and this Will should
he vo,oed BY the representative oooies
NJ ;ts business men, demanding for them
selves the position of judges as TO the
wisdom of its laws aua exercising the
mower of enforcing It's DEGREES On sue
legislative bodies, either state OF va
tiopal We believe ''eternal vigilance
il the price of business, as well as poiit-
zeal liberty. and we believe il our bust
noes men na true to themselves and vigi-
LIANT over their interests, thsir innuence
would be paramount III leading the con
scienlious and able statesmen 10 sate
and wise conclusions; could check anu
control the over-zealous legislators 10
their struggles for fame and ofientimes
fortune. and what is of still greater I'M.
por,aoce. destroy beyond the hope OF
resurrection, the demagogues.
The genius Of our government Is
founded on the only true principle OF
nbsoIute non interference with Its PEG.
nile in The conduct aud management OF
their q ffars, and we outrage that principle
when we 20 beyond providing protechon
for the weak, control OF tue strong, ana
lust punishment for the vicious or those
VINO nave no respect for either.
The genius Of our government is IT.
recou ciiably opposed to all paternalism,
however named or disguised, either by
Safe or Nation, but was conceived IN
TIE truth that the people were the pest
governed that were the least governed
We believe the Interstate law is radl'
cally detective, iuasmuch as 1t opposes
ALI the principles we have reci;ed. we
b. lieve it entIrely ignores thote laws Oh
trade aud commerce that had their birth
Mt the dawn Of civilizations; that have
grown with our growth, aud have by
universal recognition become part, II
not a controlling part, Of our present de-
velopment. 1t ignores those relations
which time, experience and convenience
have established as right between the
producer, importer, ,ooer, retailer ana
consumer
Ii would challenge the fact that CON-
nerce is engendered in the wants
and necessities OF n civilized people ana
in thsir natural demands for the Tree In.
terchange of the varying productions OF
soil and climate.
While it would seem to oppose all dis
elimination on the part OF common car
riers. the law is it,elf destructively dis
eliminating against the producer, pro-
tecting only that class who gather
around the great commercial centres to
raise vegetables, etc., to supply the
daily demands for the same.
Ii discrimipates against and shuts OF
from their markets aid the enjoyment
of the fruits Of their labor, that class OF
producers who have faced dangers, and
untold bardshlps in far off lands and iso-
lated homes, to raise those staples by
reason of which the prosperity OF the
Nation has been assured, and without
which it cannot be maintained.
In its "long and short haul provis-
ions, If literally interpreted and en-.
forced, it practically says to the people
of the Pacific coast states: You shall not
use and enjoy at reasonable prices, those
commodities of the Atlantic States and
seaboard you desire. and to those OF the
Atlantic states, you shall not enjoy
those productions of the Pacific. You
REQUIRE, ii the law is enforced, our
wines. wool, fruits, fresh or dry, and
other California productions, VIII CHI we
have labored so long and OF late so sue
cessfuly to create Eastern demands
for, aud upon which our great future is
predicated, to remain unmarketed;
our orchards and vineyards uncultivated
aud the homes, based on these produc-
tons, abandoned.
While we believe the transportation
companies are primarily responsible for
this law-that their mistakes in policy
and wrongs in management have pro-
duced that condition Of the public mind
and temper as to render possible the
passage of such law as we are now con-
siderinp; still, in condemning the COM
panies for their faults, grievous as they
NAV be, we can find no excuse for those
repre- sentatives of the nation who, either
from cowardice or ignorance, or the ig-
noble spirit OF the demagogue, inflicted
the nation with the ill.advised aud mis-
chievious Interstate Commerce law.
Rsposing confidence in the high char
acter and ability Of the personnel OF the
houorabls commission, who are invested
with great discretionary powers in carry
ine out this law, we woul respectfully,
but very earnestly, request them to
continue indefinitely the suspension OF
Sections 3 and of this law, as applied
TO all roads now constructed or 10 be
constructed into California.
j. DEBARTH SHORE, Chairman.
KAsPAR COIN.
MINORITY REPORT.
As member of your committee on
transportation, to which had been re-
ferred the Interstate Commerce law, l
beg to concur with the other gentlemen
of The committee in so far as the work
iugs OF this law and its trainers are con-
cerned, but must disagree as to the
eau ses which led to its passage.
believe that, while in former years
the railroad companies may have dis
eliminated, more recently they have
been the means of building up this part
Of the country and its institutions, and
in my opinion the majority Of the people